Crossbench independent MPs and Senators will move key amendments to the Government’s Freedom of Information Bill, warning the proposed changes will reward secrecy and further erode trust in government.
In the last sitting week, the Albanese Government introduced sweeping reforms to the FOI framework with little to no consultation outside of Government. This legislation will make it harder for Australians, including whistleblowers and investigative journalists, to access information in the public interest by imposing application fees, expanding exemptions and prohibiting anonymous requests.
The bill also broadens Cabinet exemptions and adds new factors to help the Government argue against disclosure, in a move MPs and Senators say will shield even more government information from public view.
The move backs in opposition from civil society groups who warn the measures are an attack on the right of all Australians to access Government information. The bill will further silence whistleblowers and increase secrecy to information when the government is already facing criticism for refusing more FoI requests than were fully granted.
Crossbenchers argued there is a need for the government to be more transparent, not less, and that the proposed reforms are in conflict to the 57th recommendation of the Robodebt Royal Commission that said confidentiality should only be maintained over Cabinet documents in full or part where it is reasonably justified in the public interest.
Crossbenchers cited the recent exposure of dysfunction at ANU and Robodebt as key examples of the need for a robust freedom of information system that favours disclosure over secrecy.
Quotes attributable to crossbench MPs:
Dr Helen Haines MP:
“Instead of improving transparency and increasing protections for whistleblowers, this bill makes it harder to access information and easier for the Government to hide it. The public wants more transparency but instead we’re seeing attempts to lock away even more information on key cabinet decisions.”
Dr Sophie Scamps MP:
“A strong democracy is one where there is a commitment to transparency and accountability. The Government’s proposed changes to the Freedom of Information laws threatens transparency. The changes will make it easier for the Government to hide information from the public, and harder for civil society to hold them to account.”
Senator David Pocock:
“The Albanese Government is already one of the most secretive since records began and this bill will only make that worse. Repressing legitimate mechanisms to uncover wrongdoing will undermine our democracy. We need more transparency, not less.”
Senator Jacqui Lambie:
“This government promised Australians transparency but they have utterly failed and now they wan’t to make it even harder for Australians to find out what the government is doing and even worse they want to charge us for the privilege.”
Dr Monique Ryan MP:
“Freedom of information is a fundamental right – the right to know what information government holds about ourselves and the right to understand how government makes decisions. This amendment bill attempts to undermine that right with qualifiers and barriers. The government needs to explain themselves. Australians want to shine a light on what goes on in Canberra – not close the door and hide in the dark.”
Kate Chaney MP:
“Nobody wants taxpayer money to be wasted on vexatious FOI requests, which may increase with the advent of AI, but efficiencies cannot come at the expense of government transparency and accountability. Rebuilding public trust requires sharing more information, not less.”
Allegra Spender MP:
“The government should be providing more transparency to the Australian people, not less. In particular, this bill massively expands the number of cabinet documents that are exempt from the FOI regime, a move that is in direct conflict with the recommendations of the Robodebt Royal Commission.”
Rebekha Sharkie MP:
“While I support the need to modernise the FOI process to eliminate fake or spurious FOI applications, any amendments need to be carefully considered. The goal must be greater transparency from Government, not less.”
Nicolette Boele MP:
“FOI isn’t red tape – it’s democracy in action. Strong FOI laws empower those who speak truth to power, like whistleblowers and journalists. Weakening them risks silence where scrutiny is vital – especially at a time when a large government majority faces minimal challenge, and a fractured Opposition is unable to provide accountability.”
Zali Steggall MP:
“There are legitimate reasons to protect individual safety and privacy within the FOI system, but this Bill doesn’t strike that balance. Instead, it imposes greater secrecy at the expense of public trust. Australians have a right to know how decisions are made, and this legislation risks locking them out when transparency is needed most.”
“At a time when trust in government is already low, we should be strengthening transparency, not weakening it. From Robodebt to ANU, we’ve seen the cost of secrecy. The answer is more sunlight, not less.”
ENDS